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Maybe his words were misinterpreted as he said them, but flat out saying that Benzema and Valbuena's presence would affect somehow the team's dynamic because of the scandal they are involved in, may not be the best way to help the situation. That's exactly what Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud said at the France camp. Although he didn't really deny their presence in the upcoming European Championship, he is saying what everyone else is thinking.
This is exactly where the term 'political correctness' comes to play, a practice that the French have historically never been very good at because they always tend to speak their mind. There are some moments where one needs to have prudence and not say what's on one's mind because you could actually hurt the team's dynamic yourself. And of course, leaving a player like Karim Benzema out of the national team would be a grave mistake, especially if you leave him out for something that isn't related with football.
This is what Giroud said about the whole Benzema/Valbuena scandal: "It is something that can pollute our spirit. I try not to think about it as it prevents us from concentrating on matters on the pitch. It is the pitch which is the most important. The question does not come up. The objective is to have strikers who complement each other the best. I don't ask myself the question of Karim or 'Valbu'. The most important thing today is the team."
Photo credit: Equipe de France
